1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to methods and systems for wireless communication. The present invention more particularly relates to methods and systems for processing data through wireless communication media.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to bandwidth limitations associated with wireless communications, it is desirable to minimize the size and volume of data traffic that flows through a wireless network. Electronic messages are typically transmitted between and among components in a wireless network. Electronic messages having associated attachments, however, can place stress on a wireless communication network by requiring and consuming excessive portions of wireless bandwidth.
In a wireless network, an attachment associated with an electronic message is often too large (e.g., too many bytes in size) in view of bandwidth available for transmission of the attachment to permit effective delivery of the attachment to a recipient. Such attachments may be in the nature of, for example, spreadsheets, word processing documents, drawing or picture files, presentation slides, or other documents of a size that is not amenable to wireless communication.
Unfortunately, the recipient of an electronic message is typically not notified when transmission of such an attachment is unsuccessfully attempted by a sender. In addition, any text in the body of the electronic message associated with the attachment (e.g. the text of an e-mail message) may not be seen by the recipient, because the size of the attachment may have caused the entire electronic message to be denied transmission to the recipient. In summary, if a sender forwards an electronic message with an attachment through a wireless network, the wireless application will not strip the attachment from the message and send the text of the message. Typically, the electronic message is rejected in a manner that does not permit a recipient to see any text commentary that may have accompanied the attachment during transmission.
What are needed, therefore, are methods and systems for processing attachments associated with electronic messages that permit a recipient to manage such attachments more effectively. What are also needed are methods and systems that permit a recipient to receive and process at least a portion of an electronic message in the event that delivery of an attachment is limited by available wireless bandwidth. Such improved methods and systems should promote recipient access to at least a text portion of an electronic message even when transmission of an attachment associated with the electronic message is not possible or permitted by the wireless network.
What is lacking in the art is a gateway for wireless communication that can leverage active redundant components to achieve reliability and allow for growth and support of wireless communications, especially during unusually high volume periods of electronic message transmission. A gateway is also needed that can act substantially independently of the numerous wireless applications that can be employed by the recipient of an electronic message with an attachment. This independence would alleviate the need to obtain direct access to modify application source code to address attachment processing needs.